A California advocacy group for rideshare drivers filed a lawsuit Complaint Monday in state court against Uber Technologies, Inc., saying the company violated the rules Proposal 22 and they should be prohibited from classifying their drivers as independent contractors.
Rideshare Drivers United (RDU)a California nonprofit representing more than 20,000 app-based drivers in the state claimed Uber violated the law App-Based Drivers and Services Protection Act amended by Proposition 22 of 2020. The complaint alleges that Uber terminates drivers for reasons not detailed in their contracts, fails to provide a meaningful appeals process for disabled drivers, prohibits drivers from refusing rides based on the customer’s location or the presence of a service animal, and withholds sufficient earnings information from drivers to verify whether they are receiving required compensation.
RDU, represented by attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan of Lichten & Liss-Riordan, PC, argues that the company cannot rely on independent contractor protections because Uber has failed to comply with Proposition 22. The lawsuit seeks a court declaration barring Uber from claiming its drivers are independent contractors, a decision that would expose Uber to misclassification claims under California labor law.
Proposition 22 passed in November 2020 after a coalition of gig companies spent more than $220 million on the campaign, including Uber more than $50 million spent. The measure exempted app-based transportation and delivery companies from Assembly Bill 5, which codified the state’s ABC test for employee classification. The California Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Proposition 22 Castellanos v. State of California in July 2024.
The case does not have a trial date and Uber has not publicly responded to the complaint.
